Magdalene compensation offers fall short
The news comes as the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) again raised concerns about the independence and comprehensive nature of the McAleese Report.
Welcoming UNCAT’s intervention, Justice for Magdalenes Research said it was “deeply concerned” that a number of women had been offered compensation payments reflecting shorter lengths of stay in laundries than they actually suffered.
“We are deeply concerned that some women are being offered compensation payments reflecting much shorter lengths of stay than the women endured. Moreover, the women have been told that records no longer exist to support their claims of longer durations of stay.
“The women in question, all of whom were minors when they were incarcerated in the laundries, should not be penalised because of the failures of church and State to maintain adequate records.”
In its list of issues that require attention for Ireland in 2015, UNCAT questioned the Government’s assertion that the McAleese Report was “comprehensive, objective, and conducted under the supervision of an independent chairperson” given that the duration of stay was not recorded for 58% of admissions.
“Since the McAleese Committee did not have power to compel evidence, and only to receive what was forwarded voluntarily, please explain why the State party considers that it has obtained all the relevant evidence and facts,” said UNCAT.
“Please clarify how the McAleese Committee, comprised of representatives of the government agencies involved with the running of the Magdalene Laundries, can be considered as definitive solely because the chairperson was independent.”
The UN body also asked for the basis on which survivor testimonies submitted to the McAleese Committee were used, given only seven of the 22 testimonies submitted by Justice For Magdalenes (JFM) were included in the report.
“Was survivor testimony given a lesser status in this inquiry than written records of the State and the religious orders? In view of the fact that several of the cases cited by NGO sources highlight physical and psychological abuse, please clarify what measures the State party has taken to investigate their claims promptly and thoroughly,” asked UNCAT.
JFM Research also criticised the Government’s “callous” decision to exclude women living in other jurisdictions from the enhanced medical card, which it said was not consistent with the recommendations of the Quirke Report.
Justice Minister needs to clarify medical entitlements for Magdalene survivors living abroad- McDonald http://t.co/ayBMiRF1zY
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) November 27, 2013
“Discriminating against Magdalene women who emigrated in the past to escape the stigma inflicted on them in Ireland, in this, the year of ‘The Gathering,’ is callous in the extreme. We have brought this matter to the attention of UNCAT and we welcome the fact that today’s ‘list of issues’ echoes our concern in this regard,” said a statement.
